The best KTU monographies enhance Lithuanian medicine, society and education

This scientific discovery, described in the monograph, was made while carrying out a COVID-19-related project on pulmonary hypertension therapy. However, the device created has a much wider range of applications, as it can be used for clearing heart valve build-up, breaking down bacterial biofilms that prevent drugs from effectively treating inflammation, encapsulating drugs into red blood cells and using it in the treatment of stroke and cancer.

According to the scientist, dolphin therapy may lead to similar hemodynamic improvement, as their acoustic waves mimic low-frequency ultrasound parameters. This effect can reduce blood viscosity, blood pressure and pulse, improve blood oxygenation and positively affect one’s emotional health. Although the effect of nervous stress on blood pressure has been extensively studied, the reverse link – the effect of blood pressure on the nervous system – has not yet been sufficiently investigated.

“This non-invasive form of therapy can become an alternative to traditional treatment. Currently, high-frequency ultrasound used in medical diagnostics and treatment increases blood viscosity and blood pressure, acts thermally and suppresses oxygenation. As approximately 1.3 billion people in the world have vascular diseases, we think that the technology created by the KTU has huge potential,” says Ostaševičius.

The topics discussed in the monograph go far beyond academic discourse. Although the author is uncertain about the actual relevance of his research, it touches on the most sensitive current issues, such as telling the truth, observing changes in political culture and the impact of digital reality on real life.

Grišinas notes that fake and false information is abundant in the digital world, but the real problem is not disinformation. The most important aspects are how people navigate the information space and what political culture they shape by their actions.

“In the current digital world, we are not only the consumers, but also the creators. Our speaking, sharing content and participation in public discourse have a greater impact and reach than ever before. Therefore, the intended meaning of speaking becomes crucial. We must ask ourselves whether we seek to tell the truth or whether we are speaking quickly, consumer-like or sometimes even consciously contributing to information noise. Our behaviour actively shapes the world we live in, alongside information and physical space. That is why it is necessary to be aware of the mind ecology and political culture in the digital age,” says the author of the monograph.

According to Grišinas, the society’s resilience to disinformation should be perceived not only as something to prevent, but rather as an ability to act responsibly in the world of fake meanings. Although we cannot avoid disinformation in the digital world, our individual choices determine whether a responsible, truth-based political culture will be fostered.

The monograph’s author suggests seeking historical events as examples, where living the truth was an effective counterbalance to institutionalised lies. According to Grišinas, the first step in addressing this issue is changing people’s attitude towards public space and our role within it.

In his monograph, Grišinas draws on historical experience, particularly the examples of dissident movements, where living the truth became a response to the lies entrenched in public discourse. Grišinas states that solutions to major problems in political culture exist both at the level of individual choices and at the wider social and political systems.

With this recognition, the author is researching and plans to continue researching philosophical studies. Currently, his interests lie in the concept of non-technicality and the analysis of the historicity of modernity, examining the state of modern society when the historical direction becomes unclear, while modernity faces ecological, political and philosophical limits.

According to Sidekerskienė, her research is not only relevant to the academic community, but also to our society, as digital technologies are a huge part of people’s lives and they change learning processes naturally. Today, learners expect active and dynamic engagement, but traditional teaching practices cannot always ensure that. The author notes that interactive and playful forms of teaching help learners better understand complex topics, encourage curiosity and allow them to apply their knowledge in practice.

“The growing role of gamification in education is linked to the need to learn through experience. Alongside such interactive tools as Menti, Kahoot or activities in Moodle, digital escape rooms allow students to actively participate, experiment and see the results right away. This is particularly useful in mathematics, where abstract concepts are often difficult to relate to real-life situations,” notes Sidekerskienė.

“The design and decision of digital escape rooms allow learners to practically learn the most important future skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and digital literacy. By engaging in such activities, students learn to apply their knowledge in complex, real-life situations,” says the author.

Although this monograph became a significant overview of her long-standing work, the researcher continues to experiment with new forms of learning. She is currently researching how combining virtual learning environments with digital escape rooms can create coherent and engaging learning experiences in which independent work in a virtual environment translates into practical, collaborative challenges during lectures.